Apatite inclusions in natural diamond coat

Electron microscopic techniques have been applied to investigate the composition and structure of the non-diamond particles, of submicrometre dimensions, that profusely populate the coat of natural coated diamonds. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analysis (EDS) has shown phosphorus to be commonly present in this included matter, and in the case of some individual crystallites calcium and phosphorus have been the only elements detected with atomic number greater than 11 (the minimum atomic number detectable in the experiments). The latter inclusions exhibit hexagonal prismatic facets and their electron diffraction pattern corresponds to the apatite structure. Approximate lattice parameter values found were c/a=0.73 with a=9.5 Å.     

The massive hot core associated with G31.41+0.31

We have used the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer to observe the ground state and vibrationally excited lines of Methyl Cyanide towards the UCHII region G31.41+0.31. We also obtained a map of the continuum emission at a frequency of 110 GHz. We detect a hot molecular core in the emission both of methyl cyanide and of the 110 GHz continuum. We estimate a temperature of 200 K and a mass of 1000 M for this compact massive region. We also detect a velocity gradient or shift across the methyl cyanide core whose origin could be due to rotation.     

Book reviews

GRIFFITH TAYLOR: Antarctic scientist and pioneer geographer (Carleton Library Series No. 145) by M. Sanderson. 15 x 23 cm, xi and 218 pages. Carleton University Press: Ottawa 1988 (ISBN 0 88629 068 6) $C24.95 (hard); (ISBN 0 88629 068 X) $C14.95 (soft) plus postage.

LAND, WATER AND PEOPLE: Geographical essays in Australian resource management edited by R. L. Heathcote and J. A. Mabbutt. 14 x 21 cm, xiii and 266 pages. Allen & Unwin: Sydney 1988 (ISBN 0 04 303008 4) $A24.95 (soft).

ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY: Book One by J. Paine, H. McLean and G. Mayhew. 19 x 25 cm, 389 pages. Macmillan: Melbourne 1988 (ISBN 0 333 43073 5) $A28.95 (soft).

Climate Impact Assessment Program (1975) Impacts of climate change on the biosphere, Monograph No. 5, US Department of Transportation, Washington DC.

SMALL‐SCALE AGRICULTURE edited by J. Hirst, J. Overton, B. Allen and Y. Byron. 18 x 25 cm, xii and 210 pages. Commonwealth Geographical Bureau and Department of Human Geography, Australian National University: Canberra 1988 (ISBN 0 7316 3609 0) $A 10.00 (soft).

THE BRITTLE RIM: Finance, Business and the Pacific Region by M. T. Daly and M. I. Logan. 15 × 23 cm, 263 pages, Penguin Books: Ring‐wood 1989 (ISBN 0 14 012095 5) $A24.99 (soft)

THE END OF ORGANISED CAPITALISM by S. Lash and J. Urry. 15 x 23cm, 383 pages. Polity Press: Cambridge 1987 (ISBN 07456 00697) $A34.95 (soft).

THE POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT: An Introduction to Global Issues by J. L. Seitz. 15 x 23 cm, xiii and 194 pages. Basil Blackwell: New York 1988 (ISBN 0 631 15801 4) $A27.95 (soft).

DEVELOPING WITH FOREIGN INVESTMENT edited by V. Cable and B. Persaud. 16 x 24 cm, viii and 327 pages. Croom Helm: London 1987 (ISBN 0 7099 4825 5) $A87.95 (hard).

PLANNING SYDNEY'S FUTURE by P. Spearritt and C. DeMarco, 21 x 27 cm, and 150 pages. Allen & Unwin: Sydney 1988 (ISBN 0 04 324014 3) $A17.95 (soft).

THE RICHEST LODE: Broken Hill 1888–1988 by R. J. Solomon. 22 x 28 cm, 424 pages. Hale & Iremonger: Sydney 1988 (ISBN 0 86806 333 9).

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN DEVELOPMENT (North Australia: Progress and Prospects, Volume 1) edited by D. Wade‐Marshall and P. Loveday. xiii and 310 pages. North Australia Research Unit, Australian National University: Darwin 1988 (ISBN 07315 0335 X).

NEW CALEDONIA OR KANAKY? The Political History of a French Colony (Pacific Research Monograph No. 16) by J. Connell. National Centre for Development Studies, Australian National University: Canberra 1987 (ISBN 0 7315 05123).

DISEASE ECOLOGY by Andrew Learmonth. 15 x 23 cm, 456 pages. Basil Blackwell: Oxford 1988 (ISBN 0 631 15799 9) $A46.00 (soft).

QUALITATIVE METHODS IN HUMAN GEOGRAPHY edited by J. Eyles and D. M. Smith. 15 x 23 cm, xiii and 272 pages. Polity Press: Cambridge 1988 (ISBN 0 7456 0371 8) $A34.95 (soft).

GEOGRAPHICAL SYSTEMS AND SYSTEMS OF GEOGRAPHY: Essays in Honour of William Warntz edited by W. J. Coffey. 14 x 21 cm, 211 pages. Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario: London, Ontario 1988 (ISBN 0 7714 09747) $C30.00 (soft).     

Small-scale clumping in molecular clouds

Summary This review consists of five sections. In the introduction, we briefly review the development of the study of molecular clouds. In the second section, we review the theories of molecular cloud structure and compare these predictions with the statistical properties of the clouds. In Sect. 3 we give an overview of current approaches to determinations of mass and local density in clouds. In the fourth part, we discuss the observations of a selected sample of individual sources. The emphasis here is on high resolution studies of regions of star formation. The final section contains a discussion of instrumental limitations and mentions some future developments.